Minnesota Crop News

It's the end of March, which means it's time for the annual Spring Fertilizer Outlook. What are field conditions like throughout Minnesota? What early fertilizer application options might MN growers want to consider? Which early fertilizer application practices might MN growers want to avoid, and why? What are growers excited - or hesitant - about? What about N carryover credits in this more typical season? Our four panelists weigh in. TRANSCRIPT Guests: Fabian Fernandez, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Jeff Vetsch, U of M researcher (Waseca) Brad Carlson, Extension educator (Mankato) Daniel Kaiser, Extension nutrient management specialist (St. Paul) Additional Resources: Are you overspending on fertilizer? FINBIN Don't apply commercial fertilizers to snow-covered frozen soils Nutrient Management — Click here to listen to all Nutrient Management Podcast episodes. For the latest nutrient management information, subscribe to the Nutrient Management ...

Eric Yu, UMN Extension Crops Educator, David Nicolai, UMN Extension Crops Educator, Ryan Miller, UMN Extension Crops Educator, Debalin Sarangi, UMN Extension Weed Scientist Photo: Liz Stahl As we approach the upcoming growing season, staying informed about the latest herbicide innovations is crucial for effective crop management and maximizing yields. The agricultural landscape is continuously evolving, with new herbicide products regularly introduced to help farmers manage weeds, protect crops, and address resistance challenges. In this article, we will highlight some of the newest herbicides on the market and those set to launch soon. It is important to note, however, that many “new” herbicides are either new formulations of existing active ingredients or new premixes of these ingredients. Below are some of the key herbicides to watch for in the season ahead, featuring products from AMVAC, BASF, Bayer, Corteva, FMC, and Syngenta. We also recommend referring to the “ Take Action Herbi...

By Jochum Wiersma, Extension agronomist The minimum acceptable germination rate for registered and certified classes of seed of wheat, barley, oats, and rye is 85%. The ragdoll test, using seeds not treated with fungicidal seed treatment, is used to determine the official germination rate that will be reported on the seed tag. The Minnesota Crop Improvement Association does not expect the problems to be so severe and widespread that there will be a shortage of quality seed for this upcoming season. Nevertheless, I suspect that there are plenty of individual seed lots that will not meet the minimum acceptable germination rate of 85% despite rigorous cleaning/conditioning given the problems we encountered with Fusarium head blight and preharvest sprouting.  The same will be true for farm-saved seed. If the seed lot is to be sold as either a certified or registered class of seed, the tag will have to list not only the actual germination rate but also the word ‘substandard’. That, ...

Ed Usset, Grain marketing economist at the Center for Farm Financial Management, University of Minnesota was the guest for the March 19th podcast of Minnesota CropCast. Since 2001, Ed has been writing and executing marketing plans for his mythical farms; a corn and soybean operation in southwestern Minnesota and a wheat farm in the Red River Valley of northwestern Minnesota. During the podcast Ed emphasized the economic importance for grain growers to complete the final marketing of their 2024 crop still in storage by this July. Ed also provided suggestions and target prices to help grain producers forward price their grain based on understanding seasonal market patterns after harvest especially during times of lower commodity prices. He also reviewed the potential financial impacts and concerns of economic constraints on the export of feed grains in 2025.  Finally, Seth Naeve, University of Minnesota Soybean Extension Specialist discussed the needs and demands for soybean exports ...

By: Claire LaCanne, University of Minnesota Extension Educator – Crops, Angie Peltier, University of Minnesota Extension Educator – Crops, and Jennifer Brhel, University of Nebraska Extension Educator The March 12th session of University of Minnesota Extension’s Strategic Farming: Let’s Talk Crops program focused on data-driven decision making. This webinar featured Angie Peltier, University of Minnesota Extension Educator – Crops, and Jennifer Brhel, University of Nebraska Extension Educator joined by moderator Liz Stahl, University of Minnesota Extension Educator - Crops as they discussed “Data Driven Decisions: Determining what really affects the bottom line.” On-farm research Keep things consistent There are several things to think about when conducting on-farm trials. It is important to plan properly - which is not always simple, but is doable when you keep these considerations in mind. Try to keep as many factors consistent as possible. Compare treatments in an area with the same...

By: Chryseis Modderman, Extension manure management educator Composting is as much an art as it is a science. When we think of composting, we often jump to the main components of temperature, moisture, particle size, oxygen, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Certainly, those are important, but let’s back up a step and look at choosing a site and size to put the art and science of composting to work. Where is best? As in real estate, it’s all about location, location, location. The ideal composting location is out of the way and can be accessed with hauling and turning equipment. Know your local setback requirements to avoid runoff into sensitive features. Look for a flat area, outside of areas that flood, with a non-permeable base to avoid leaching. Some areas have rules about what needs to be used for a base, so make sure you check your local regulations. Also, try to be considerate of your down-wind neighbors (a colleague recently told me his neighbor is building a “Mt. Vesuvius of Crap”...